The present invention is directed to a small, inexpensive device for illuminating the interior of a mailbox, when opened for inspection.
The typical rural mailbox consists of a somewhat elongated box housing, open at the front. A closure door is pivotally mounted along the bottom edge of the front of the housing and is movable from a generally vertical, box-closing position, to an open position pivoted forwardly at some suitable angle, for example, to a generally horizontal position.
At night, or in conditions of reduced visibility, it is sometimes difficult to see inside the box, to determine the nature of the contents, if any. This invention is directed to a novel, simplified, inexpensive and easily used device which functions automatically, when the mailbox door is opened, to illuminate the interior of the box, such that the user may easily ascertain the nature of its contents.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a mailbox illuminating device is provided which comprises a small support member, typically but not necessarily a box-like enclosure, which is fixed to the inside of the mailbox door. The support mounts a light source, such as a bright LED, a power source, typically a conventional battery, and a tilt actuated switch connecting the light source with the power source. When the mailbox door is in its upright or closed position, the tilt-actuated switch is in an open condition. When the mailbox door is pivoted downwardly to open the mailbox, the tilt-actuated switch is closed, energizing the light source and casting the desired illumination into the interior of the box. When the mailbox door is subsequently closed, the light is automatically extinguished by opening of the tilt-actuated switch. A timer optionally (and preferably) be incorporated in the switching circuit to interrupt the power source in the event that the mailbox door is left open for an extended time period.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, and to the accompanying drawings.